Massadio Haidara is expected to make his Newcastle United comeback against Benfica in next Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg at St James’ Park.

The 20-year-old was the victim of Callum McManaman’s horror tackle against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

He hasn’t appeared since for United, and if he does return from his thigh and knee injuries, it will mean he has missed almost a month of action for the challenge that caused controversy when the FA opted not to ban McManaman.

Haidara has recovered well and was buoyed by a flood of supportive messages from Geordie fans, but the game with Fulham on Sunday comes too early for the former Nancy player.

Yet he will get a warm welcome when he returns to action against the Lisbon giants.

His manager Alan Pardew told the Chronicle today: “We think he’s got a good chance for next Thursday.”

Injuries have been the story of the season for Newcastle in many ways and just when it looked like their run of bad luck had came to an end, a fresh spate of problems kicked in at Wigan. That day Haidara wasn’t the only star to suffer injury with Mathieu Debuchy picking up a hamstring injury.

Days later Italian star Davide Santon picked up a thigh problem while on duty with the Azzurri Under-21s.

However, it has emerged that Debuchy’s comeback date is the Tyne-Wear derby later this month – a game that Pardew hopes he has a selection headache for.

He said: “Mathieu Debuchy has a chance for Sunderland.

“We went to Man City without three of our best full- backs.

“It would nice to think we have them all available for Sunderland and it looks like we have a good chance of them being fit.”

Meanwhile, Geordie defender Paul Dummett – who is on loan at St Mirren in the Scottish Premier League – continues to get rave reviews north of the border.

Dummett starred for the Paisley side in the 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock, and afterwards their boss Kenny Shiels described the Toon youngster as one of the best left-backs in Scotland.

Dummett will soon learn whether he has been handed an extension to the deal that expires at the end of the season with United.

And while his dream is to star for the Magpies on the first-team stage, there will be no shortage of offers for the sought-after Geordie boy if he leaves United.